James Purnell
James Purnell MP is a well connected zionist and free marketeer. He is a leading member of the new generation of Labour MPs, often referred to as the "Primrose Hill Gang". Other prominent members include Ed Miliband and David Miliband, Douglas Alexander, Ed Balls and Pat McFadden. Despite being a leading Blairite, Purnell is popular amongst supporters of Gordon Brown too, and his pre-ministerial CV includes a stint as a PPS at the Treasury. He is a Labour Party MP for Stalybridge and Hyde, first being elected at the 2001 general election. He was educated at Balliol College, Oxford.
In 2004, in the government changes following the resignation of David Blunkett, he was appointed an Assistant Government Whip. Following the Labour Party's third successive General Election victory in 2005, he was appointed to the position of Minister (Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State) for Media and Tourism (covering broadcasting, creative industries, tourism and licensing) in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. In 2006 he was moved to be Minister for Pensions, replacing Stephen Timms. He was the minister in charge of seeing through the legislation that liberalised England and Wales' alcohol licensing laws.
Before entering Parliament, he had for many years worked as a special advisor to Number 10.
Affiliations
- Labour Friends of Israel
- Social Market Foundation
- Compass, speaker at their conference in June 2006.
- Portland PR declares that he has done 'speechwriting' work for BSkyB under contract from Portland PR, run by former downing Street adviser Tim Allan, who was Purnell's flatmate.
